Governor McDonnell declared October 17-21 as Manufacturing Appreciation Week for Virginia. This should come as no surprise to the many Virginians employed by the manufacturing industry — more than 200,000 of us. In the last few weeks alone, manufacturing companies across a variety of industries have signaled their confidence in Virginia’s workforce by locating or expanding their operations in the Commonwealth.

Federal-Mogul Corp., a global automotive supplier, plans to invest $10 million to expand its automotive engine bearing manufacturing facility in Blacksburg Industrial Park, bringing 50 new jobs to Montgomery County. Albany Industries, a manufacturer of upholstered household furniture, announced it will invest $2.5 million to establish production capabilities in Galax, Va. This investment represents Albany Industry’s first operation in Virginia and will bring 335 new jobs to Southwest Virginia.

On the international front, Axxor Group, a Netherlands-based producer of honeycomb, announced it will establish its first U.S. operation in Pittsylvania County in Southern Virginia. In 2006, Swedwood North America, a furniture manufacturer and subsidiary of IKEA, selected Virginia as the location for its first U.S. manufacturing facility. As Axxor Group is a major supplier of honeycomb to Swedwood’s furniture manufacturing operations, this investment is a natural outgrowth of that initial partnership.

Also arriving from across the pond is NBG Holding’s announcement to establish its first U.S. subsidiary, Fiber Cable Technology, in Botetourt county. The Austrian company will invest $5 million and create 25 new jobs to manufacture specialty optical fiber and optical cables for the defense and energy markets.

Whether manufacturing furniture or fiber optic cable, companies from all around the world have recognized the pro-business advantages a Virginia location offers. To learn more about the breadth of industries served by the Commonwealth click here. You can also view a Made in Virginia video produced by the Virginia Manufacturers Association here.

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With October slated as Energy Month in Virginia, the announcement of a new wind turbine test facility moves the Commonwealth one step closer to becoming the Energy Capital of the East Coast. Named Poseidon Atlantic, the facility will be located in Northampton County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP recently attended the AWEA Offshore Wind Expo where Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling announced this project at a dinner for industry stakeholders.

Poseidon Atlantic will be the first comprehensive testing facility of its kind in the U.S. What makes this project unique is its ability to both test and certify the entire wind turbine (as opposed to testing component parts). Poseidon Atlantic will be the only U.S. site able to perform comprehensive testing for both offshore and land-based turbines.

The Poseidon Atlantic team selected Virginia for this project due to its prime location, as the Commonwealth couldn’t be more well-positioned for the offshore wind industry. Virginia has the ideal combination of strong Class 6 winds along the coast combined with shallow waters that allow for the easy installation of turbines and testing pads. The Commonwealth also has the necessary infrastructure already in place including an experienced maritime workforce, access to a fully operational high voltage transmission grid close to shore, and a robust transportation network including the Port of Virginia, which has the deepest obstruction-free channels on the East Coast.

Given the current worldwide shortage of full-service testing centers, this project positions Virginia at the forefront of the industry. Certification is a critical final step in the R&D process as wind turbine manufacturers often seek IEC certification prior to bringing a product to market. The facility is expected to build up to ten testing pads, leasing these to wind turbine manufacturers and bringing the global offshore wind supply chain to Virginia’s shores.

Though still in its infancy, the wind industry could create thousands of jobs for Virginians and provide a renewable source of energy. With the global supply chain recognizing Virginia’s unique assets and setting up shop along the coast, the Commonwealth is poised to become a hub for the offshore wind industry and one step closer to claiming the title, Energy Capital of the East Coast.

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Virginia and Microsoft have partnered once again – not surprisingly as both are IT leaders who realize staying at the top requires investing in the future. This time, that investment takes the form of educating the Commonwealth’s public high school students as Virginia is only the third state in the nation to implement the Microsoft IT Academy Program. With an aggressive goal of full participation by the end of this school year, the program will support both students and teachers by making software and coursework available including everything from computer basics to programming to the opportunity to earn recognized Microsoft certifications.

The groundwork to attract Microsoft’s data center and support its educational offering for all Virginians was quite literally laid several years ago by the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative. In an effort to support underserved rural areas in Southern Virginia, MBC established an 800 mile open-access, fiber-optic broadband network. While this advanced network has attracted a flurry of Gigaparks and technology companies to the former tobacco region, the network will also provide high-speed internet access to more than 100 schools in Southern Virginia through a federal broadband stimulus program.

Beginning this school year, students in two Southern Virginia counties have been equipped with high speed broadband for the first time. Jumping from 45 Mbps to 100 Mbps is a significant leap that allows students and teachers to take full advantage of the internet, specifically improving video streaming and online collaboration. Establishing high speed connectivity in rural areas like Southern Virginia sets the stage for Microsoft’s IT Academy to be successful. This will be truly be a statewide program, allowing students everywhere to take full advantage of Microsoft’s online resources in order to build the technical skills necessary to fuel Virginia’s booming IT industry.

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With close to 300 Virginia companies on Inc. Magazine’s 2011 Inc. 500|5000 list of the fasting growing companies, the Commonwealth is very well represented. What is perhaps more impressive is the breadth of that representation, spanning multiple regions and industries. With our close proximity to the nation’s capitol, it is no surprise that more than 100 of these Virginia businesses were in the government services sector. However, the list of our top growing companies showed a healthy diversification across the IT, healthcare, business services, energy and education sectors as well. Virginia’s companies are growing in growth industries, which is great news for the Commonwealth.

Montgomery County is a microcosm illustrating this manifold growth. With three companies on the list in three different sectors, Montgomery County entrepreneurs exhibit the creativity and innovation Virginia is known for. Modea, a digital advertising agency, is a homegrown start-up with an impressive client list allowing for a new headquarters building and the addition of 200 employees over the next five years. UXB International is an environmental technology company specializing in demilitarization and weapons removal that has moved to Montgomery County to take advantage of the Virginia Tech Research Center. Harmonia Holding Group is another local startup catering to the software and systems engineering needs of the military and federal agencies from its headquarters, also located at the Virginia Tech Research Center.

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Who doesn’t love to hear a success story – especially one from right here in Virginia? Dex, a division of Arrow Truck Sales, dismantles used Mack and Volvo trucks to harvest components for reuse on other trucks. With more than 2.7 million heavy-duty trucks in operation in the U.S., there is a growing market for quality used parts.

Five years after signing a lease for a building space in Floyd Regional Commerce Center in Floyd, Virginia, Dex has reached its reuse and recycling goal. The challenge required Dex to reuse or recycle every component part of the heavy-duty trucks they acquire. While most parts were marketable for resale, Dex had to find new markets for items like glass, plastics, rubber or damaged pieces.

This extensive sorting and processing required extra time and resources, but given their core value of environmental care Dex remained committed to reaching their goal.

Dex’s facility in Floyd has 29 full-time employees. The company has outgrown the 50,000-square-foot space and is leasing other temporary space. With this growth they are also looking toward the future and are currently working on the design aspects of products to ensure Mack and Volvo trucks produce zero landfill waste.

David Ingram, Chairman of Floyd County’s Board of Supervisors, said, “We are very glad that Dex chose Floyd County five years ago. Every job they’ve added is important.”

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Last month, Hanover County received heaping praise in a Richmond Times-Dispatch article that detailed how Hanover has continued to be a great place to live and work despite a tough economic environment.

Known for its passionate citizen involvement and strong partnerships between businesses and government, Hanover prides itself on responsible planning and good, old-fashioned hard work. While there are many individuals that contributed in one way or another, the true spirit of Hanover’s success continues to be a community effort.

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Last month, Bedford County and the Virginia Region 2000 Partnership announced the opening of the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER).Held August 25th, the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the fruition of a project that involved extensive regional collaboration over the course of several years.

With an overflowing parking lot, more than 100 public officials and business leaders attended the ceremony and got a first look at the new 30,000-square-foot facility. Businesses such as Babcock & Wilcox, Areva and Innovative Wireless Technologies, as well as the University of Virginia, have all secured space. The Region 2000 Partnership will continue to work toward securing more companies and organizations for the Center, which will be used 70% for research, 20% for community and outreach and 10% for administrative support.

Speaking on behalf of Governor Bob McDonnell, Virginia’s Secretary of Technology Jim Duffy praised the partnerships that were fostered to open the center, and spoke of the “brightest minds” that will use the Center for research.

The goal of CAER is to be an industry-focused regional research and development center that drives the development of innovative products and processes by providing local access to university and federal research and inventions. It will target growth industries specific to the region, and will put university innovations into action through practical implementation in industry. CAER aims to increase the competitiveness for core, high-wage industries and improve the long-term prospects of existing industrial employers by creating a knowledge-based research hub for the region.

Bill Guzek of the CAER Board of Directors said, “The center is meant to be an economic engine for the region. This is just the beginning.”

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Just over a month after being named America’s Top State for Business by CNBC, Virginia has received another No. 1 ranking. The Commonwealth has been named the most pro-business state in the country by the 2011 Pollina Corporate Real Estate study: “Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011: The Rise of the West.” Not only is it the third consecutive year that Virginia has taken home top honors, the Commonwealth won the 2011 top-ranking by the largest victory margin in the history of the study.

In its eighth year, the study is considered the “Gold Standard” in evaluating states by using a comprehensive ranking system based on factors ranging from taxes, right-to-work legislation, infrastructure spending and economic incentive programs.

This year, Virginia lead over the number two spot by 44 points and was dubbed, “the brightest star on the American Flag,” in terms of its pro-business climate. But it’s not just our top spot status that garners such a prestigious title – the Commonwealth has held the top spot five times since the study began, with second place finishes in 2005 and 2006 and third place in 2008. Our consistent presence among the top pro-business states is proof that the Commonwealth has been and will continue to be open for business.

Virginia’s pro-business reputation was also reaffirmed this year by our second place finish in the Labor, Taxes and Other Factors category and our first place finish in the Incentives and Economic Development Agency Factors, which sites the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) as one of the “finest economic development organizations in the nation.” The Commonwealth also performed strongly in the Education and Infrastructure categories and continues to shine on its Report Card.

All of us at VEDP couldn’t be prouder to represent our state and are committed to keeping Virginia the best state for business.

Click here for more information on the rankings and to see the full report.

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In 2009, SRI opened its Center for Advanced Drug Research (CADRE) in Shenandoah Valley with 15 researchers and support staff.Since then, they have grown to 45. Now SRI Shenandoah Valley is planning a build-out that will accommodate 100 scientists, researchers and other staff members.

Located in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Metro area, the Center is an independent, not-for-profit research institute. It focuses on improving efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry, developing life-saving treatments for neglected diseases, and helping our nation respond to bio-threats through client-sponsored R&D.

The Center was established as a result of partnerships among state and local governments and James Madison University, located in the area. The continued growth of CADRE is exciting news for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area, as it will draw more bio-tech and life sciences companies to the region, creating jobs and increasing the valuable research done at the Center.

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Boeing Information Solutions, of Arlington, Virginia, is joining forces with another Virginia-based company – Solutions Made Simple Inc. (SMSI).Based in Reston, Virginia, SMSI is an information services provider that is known for its Twister data integration framework products.

Prior to the acquisition, Boeing worked with SMSI over the past several years and, according to John Hinshaw, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of Information Solutions, believes this will be a “better, more cost-effective way to manage data across disparate networks.”.SMSI’s technology takes complex layers of information that are housed in an unlimited number of applications and various data sources, and makes that information easily available for users to access and extract. This type of technology is what Hinshaw sees as a “strong complement to [Boeing’s] existing capabilities.”

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When you’re on the top, it’s not just about being number one – it’s about staying there. In June, CNBC named Virginia America’s Top State for Business, and now, Business Facilities magazine has ranked Virginia #1 for Economic Growth Potential, an award that all of us here in the Commonwealth plan to see to fruition.

The study took a hard look at factors like job creation, project development, incentives and workforce. It also took into account the state’s growth strategy; including the depth and breadth of incentives, as well as partnerships among state and local governments, educational institutions and businesses.

Virginia has done its part to help keep its business climate positive, including the formation of the Economic Development and Job Creation Commission and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Both aim to carry out Virginia’s goal of more jobs and investment for the Commonwealth now and in the future.

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About VEDP

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), a state authority created by the Virginia General Assembly to better serve those seeking a prime business location and increased trade opportunities, provides confidential site selection and international trade services. VEDP's mission: To enhance the quality of life and raise the standard of living for all Virginians, in collaboration with Virginia communities, through aggressive business recruitment, expansion assistance, and trade development, thereby expanding the tax base and creating higher-income employment opportunities.